Chicken Meatballs in Quick Marinara
My Chicken Meatballs combine ground chicken, ricotta, fresh herbs, and breadcrumbs and are simmered in a simple marinara sauce. A great lighter alternative to traditional meatballs!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the chicken meatballs
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
- 1/4 cup minced Italian flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 1 large egg beaten. If the mix is too dry, you can add another egg.
- 2 teaspoons Diamond crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
- 1/4 packed cup basil leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the chicken meatballs
- Preheat oven to 375°F and set the rack to the middle level.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, breadcumbs, ricotta, basil, parsley, parmesan cheese, egg, and salt and pepper. Gently mix all the ingredients together.
- Form 1 1/2" diameter chicken meatballs with wet or oiled hands to avoid sticking. Place the meatballs onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F when checked with a digital thermometer.
For the sauce
- Heat a high-walled pan or pot to medium heat with the olive oil and add the garlic. Once the garlic turns golden, add the hot red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and bring the sauce to a lively simmer for 3 minutes. Turn the heat to low and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the basil and serve with crusty bread or on top of you favorite pasta. Enjoy!
Notes
- Meatballs. Recipe makes 16-20 1 1/2" meatballs.
- Chicken. 8% fat ground chicken is recommended over brands that are labeled 1 or 2%.
- Rolling. Rolling the meatballs with oiled or wet hands works remarkably well at forming nice meatballs and keeping the sticky chicken meat off your hands.
- Cooking time. Internal temp should be monitored closely. Chicken meatballs cook fairly quickly, so be sure to check them at the 15-minute mark. Once they reach 160°F, they can come out of the oven.
- Sauce. You will have enough extra sauce to serve this dish with 1 pound of pasta or the extra sauce can be saved for another meal.
- Leftovers. Chicken meatballs with quick marinara sauce can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 6 months. Reheat in the sauce over a low simmer.
Nutrition
Calories: 797kcal | Carbohydrates: 50.5g | Protein: 63g | Fat: 39.5g | Saturated Fat: 12.9g | Cholesterol: 239mg | Sodium: 1109mg | Fiber: 8.8g | Sugar: 1.9g | Calcium: 464mg | Iron: 8mg
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